Advent Book Review: On This Holy Night
This book is fine. It’s one of those promotional-feeling things, like that you might be given to you at church during a sermon series or as a holiday gift, or at something where you might be encouraged to “give it away,” some pastor envisioning that someone might off-handedly read it and find some truth where they least expected it. My guess is that the chapters—which are essays or sermonettes—are pulled from other books or writing elsewhere, meant to help us remember the “reason for the season” come Christmastime. As much as I usually don’t like books that fall into this rather long-winded category, this one was fine. In fact, one of the chapters even really got me thinking and moving into the new year with new, positive (Believer) motivation and thoughts. But it was probably just the words I needed right at that moment, more than the book. Maybe.
On This Holy Night is a tiny, little compilation of six writings by six well-known contemporary, Christian authors (pubbed 2013) meant as Advent reading (though in six chapters, you can break this down however you want but it won’t fit “nicely.” Maybe every other day during the Twelve Days of Christmas?). The book itself is small, to hold the small chapters, and has a hard, shiny cover and those extra-thick, shiny pages (all of which I am not a fan of, generally). But I have been on the hunt for a few years for good reading related to Jesus and Christmas, and so this was the one I tried this year. I am still much happier with last year’s Honest Advent by Scott Erickson. However, if you want something less demanding than one short reading for every day of the month, then On This Holy Night isn’t exactly a bad idea. You could certainly do worse.
I don’t really have a ton to say. I had to look up at least one of the writers because I know he’s become a bit of a controversial character, but it was nothing like what I feared. It was some doctrinal issue related to a denomination. Perhaps one of the other authors has fallen out of favor. It’s hard to keep up with these Evangelical personalities, these days, if that’s even what all of them are. Here’s the list of authors, and then you can determine if you have an issue with any of them, yourself: Max Lucado (who I have referred to elsewhere), Rick Warren, David Jeremiah, John Maxwell, Jack Hayford, and Bill Hybels. Whetever their personal or influencer lives, I didn’t find anything to be worried about in this little book, except maybe a few moments of cheesiness or an almost-worrying, outdated phrase. Almost. And all in the first section.
So, if you are looking for something new to read next Advent (or whenever) to wake up the Christmas story for you a little bit but not demand too much of you (it’s a busy season, after all!) this would be a fine, little book to grab. It’s calm and provocative in the lightest-handed way. It’s not going to blow your socks of, philosophically, but as Lucado is fond of claiming, it’s for the “average reader,” not Duke Divinity students. I found Jack Hayford’s “I Wish You a ‘Mary’ Christmas” to be the most thought-provoking, inspiring my word of the year: Mary.
“…a miraculous story that transfuses new life into all who truly listen” (pviii).
“Wise men of every age, when handed a difficult situation, don’t panic about the problem, but hold steady and say, ‘God is somewhere in this stable of life. There’s something I can learn. I’ll hold steady because God is somewhere in this’” (p11, John Maxwell).
“The difference between the average and above average person lies in just three words: And Then Some” (p16, John Maxwell).
“God has always provided travel guides to earnest spiritual seekers … those who diligently seek after Christ will find Him” (p28, Bill Hybels).
“Life will add up only when you put Christ in the center of the equation” (p30, Bill Hybels).
“He was born into a real family, and He worked a real construction job. He lived in a neighborhood. He had real friends. He suffered hardship like the rest of us have, and He died a cruel death for a crime He didn’t commit …. Jesus was a refugee before His first birthday” (p34, Bill Hybels).
“When Christ takes up residency, by His Spirit, in an ordinary life, I can assure you the ordinary gives way to the extraordinary” (p38, Bill Hybels).
“The Bible is a fence full of knotholes through which we can peek but not see the whole picture” (p43, Max Lucado).
“But in our wanderings, there is one question we never need to ask. Does God care? Do we matter to God? Does He still love His children?” (p51, Max Lucado).
“If someone comes to you and says salvation is here or over there, don’t you believe it” (p65, David Jeremiah).
“You might be a little more sophisticated, but you’re in the same less you were in before you started. Why? Because there’s only One who can change your life, and His name is Jesus” (p67, David Jeremiah).
“What are you going to find this Christmas? I’ll tell you what you’re going to find: you;ll find exactly what you’re looking for” (p74, Rick Warren).
“Notice that it simply says ‘all who believe.’ All means you. You just let go” (p78, Rick Warren).
“Religion is just man’s attempt to get to God. Relationship is when you get to know Jesus Christ in a personal way and He becomes a Friend” (p89).
“Mary’s virginity represents with impossibility, humanly speaking, of life coming forth. We need to see her virginity as a picture of the hopelessness of the situation” (p99, Jack Hayford).
“It’s interesting to study the flow of human history, to discover all the things that converged to make this the ideal moment for the appearance of the world’s Redeemer” (p100, Jack Hayford).
“The message that comes to us from the Lord is a message from another world” (p105).
“…whenever God comes to work, the first thing He has to do before He can unleash it on us is say, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just take it easy. Everything’s going to be all right. We’re going to do a good, healthy thing’” (p108, Jack Hayford).
“The Lord’s not inviting you to work your way through things so He can bless them. His miracle is not going to be based on your experience, growth or development, effort, or what you can produce at your level …. It’s based on His declaration” (p110, Jack Hayford).
“When God speaks His word, He commissions a ministry of the Holy Spirit to perform it. God will hasten His word to perform it” (p114, Jack Hayford).
And just an FYI: I just found this Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night, and it has remarkable reviews. Perhaps this would be a great special to watch next Advent, or when reading this book? Just came out like last month. I’ve been meaning to get around to watching The Chosen series, anyhow, and this is some sort of Christmas special including Anrea Botocelli.
